by our College Data Analytics TeamThere are lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our Top West Virginia Colleges ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Our analysis looked at 25 schools in West Virginia to determine which ones were the best in terms of overall quality. Instead of depending on subjective information, we focus on over 20 objective factors to determine this ranking. These factors include such things as student-to-faculty ratio, average graduate earnings, and graduation rate.
See what other factors we include in our ranking methodology.
Since one ranking on its own is not enough to give you a complete understanding of your educational options, you can refine this list by location and field of study. We've also developed a number of other tools and rankings based on other factors. These other rankings highlight colleges that excel in other factors such as value or diversity as well as schools that excel in serving different groups of students such as veterans or returnings adults.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering!
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
American Public University System tops this year’s ranking as the best school in West Virginia for overall quality.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. During the early years of their career, graduates from American Military University make an average of $44,409 a year.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at West Virginia University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in West Virginia.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from WVU go into careers with an average salary of $55,939 during the early years of their career.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wheeling University. It ranked #3 on our 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia list.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Wheeling University go into careers with an average salary of $57,949 during the early years of their career.
Out of the 25 schools in West Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Marshall University landed the #4 spot on the list.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Marshall University make an average of $46,354 per year during the early years of their career.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Blue Ridge Community and Technical College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in West Virginia.
During the early years of their career, graduates from Blue Ridge Community and Technical College make an average of $39,293 a year.
West Virginia University at Parkersburg did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking, coming in at #6.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University at Parkersburg is $35,171 during the early years of their career.
University of Charleston ranked #7 on this year’s Best Colleges in West Virginia list.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $55,774 during the early years of their career..
West Virginia University Institute of Technology ranked #8 on this year’s Best Colleges in West Virginia list.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University Tech make an average of $55,939 per year during the early years of their career.
Read full report on West Virginia University Institute of Technology
Shepherd University did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking, coming in at #9.
During the early years of their career, graduates from Shepherd University make an average of $49,358 a year.
Fairmont State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Colleges in West Virginia list.
During the early years of their career, graduates from Fairmont State make an average of $46,857 a year.
Potomac State College of West Virginia University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Colleges in West Virginia list.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from WVU Potomac State College is $55,939 during the early years of their career.
Read full report on Potomac State College of West Virginia University
West Virginia Wesleyan College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking.
During the early years of their career, graduates from West Virginia Wesleyan make an average of $51,593 a year.
Pierpont Community and Technical College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Colleges in West Virginia list.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Pierpont Community and Technical College is $35,132 during the early years of their career.
Bluefield State College did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking, coming in at #14.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $38,217 during the early years of their career..
With a ranking of #15, Salem University did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia list.
During the early years of their career, graduates from Salem make an average of $34,642 a year.
West Liberty University did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking, coming in at #16.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from West Liberty University go into careers with an average salary of $43,296 during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #17, BridgeValley Community & Technical College did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia list.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from BridgeValley Community & Technical College is $36,432 during the early years of their career.
Read full report on BridgeValley Community & Technical College
Mountwest Community and Technical College landed the #18 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. During the early years of their career, graduates from MCTC make an average of $28,951 a year.
With a ranking of #19, Concord University did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia list.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Concord University is $42,703 during the early years of their career.
West Virginia Northern Community College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $30,162 during the early years of their career..
Glenville State College landed the #21 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking.
During the early years of their career, graduates from Glenville State College make an average of $39,315 a year.
West Virginia State University landed the #22 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from WVSU make an average of $40,492 per year during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #23, New River Community and Technical College did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia list.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from New River Community and Technical College is $29,073 during the early years of their career.
West Virginia Junior College - Morgantown did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking, coming in at #24.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from WVJC Morgantown go into careers with an average salary of $31,912 during the early years of their career.
Read full report on West Virginia Junior College - Morgantown
With a ranking of #25, West Virginia Junior College - Charleston did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia list.
During the early years of their career, graduates from WVJC Charleston make an average of $27,472 a year.
Read full report on West Virginia Junior College - Charleston
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Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.